Texas football returns to Atlanta after competing in the SEC championship game there on Dec. 7, and this time the fifth-seeded Longhorns are playing in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal against No. 4 Arizona State, the Big 12 champion.
Can the Longhorns (12-2) cool off a red-hot Sun Devils squad that has soared to rare heights under second-year coach Kenny Dillingham? Arizona State beat Iowa State for the Big 12 championship in its first season in the conference, and the Sun Devils (11-2) will stroll into the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with plenty of swagger despite being a 13-point underdog. But Texas, the only team that has reached the past two CFPs, boasts a veteran squad led by a three-year starter at quarterback in Quinn Ewers.
We ask three key questions for Texas before the game against Arizona State. After the game, we will have some answers:
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Pregame question: The Arizona State senior may just be the best running back in the nation south of Boise, Idaho. Just ask the brash bruiser himself, a 5-foot-10, 225-pounder who racked up 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns on 263 carries this season while adding 37 receptions for 506 yards and three more scores. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and earned first-team All-American honors.
The strength of the Texas defense may be against the pass, but the run defense isn't too shabby, giving up 104.2 yards rushing a game and 3.1 yards a carry.
Postgame answer: Check here after the game for the answer.
Pregame question: The Sun Devils' redshirt freshman raised some eyebrows this week when he said, "I'm going to go prove why I'm the better quarterback" than Ewers. Leavitt will face a stiff test while trying to prove that point against an elite Texas pass defense led by Thorpe Award winner conference Jahdae Barron and All-American safety Michael Taaffe.
The Longhorns, who rank third among FBS teams in total defense with 261.4 yards allowed per game, are second in pass defense with 156.9 yards allowed a contest. They rank third in the nation with 20 interceptions.
Postgame answer: Check here after the game for the answer.
Pregame question: Both defenses are full of ballhawks. Texas ties for tops in the nation with 29 takeaways and Arizona State has forced 23. But the offenses look quite different when it comes to ball security.
The Sun Devils are tied for second among FBS schools with eight lost turnovers while Texas has turned over the ball 23 times and has just two games without a giveaway.